Hydraulic power steering gears for automobiles typically include a steering gear housing containing a steering assist fluid motor and a control valve for selectively connecting the motor to a pump. Usually, a torsion bar between input and output members of the steering gear centers the control valve in a neutral position when no steering effort is applied, as in straight-ahead driving, and simulates road feel when a driver applies manual effort to a steering wheel. U.S. Pat. Nos. 4,886,137 and 4,886,138, issued Dec. 12, 1989 and assigned to the assignee of this invention, describe electro-hydraulic power steering gears in which electromagnetic apparatus varies the effect of the torsion bar as a function of vehicle speed to achieve variable effort power steering. Also, power steering gears have been proposed in which an electric motor is the power source for steering assist. An automotive power steering gear according to this invention is a novel alternative to hydraulic, electro-hydraulic and electric power steering gears.